Five airports in Russia evacuated over fake bomb threats

Monday, January 1, 2018 12:00:11 PM

On Sunday, December 31, passengers and staff of five airports in Russia were evacuated over false bomb threats in the buildings.

Policemen had to evacuate passengers and employees at Kemerovo airport in the morning in order to check on a bomb threat report. No explosive device was found, and the airport resumed normal operations. However, one flight from Kemerovo to Moscow was delayed, reports Interfax.

On Sunday evening in local time, Magadan airport was also evacuated over reports of a bomb allegedly in the building. "Police officers and rescuers arrived at the airport and evacuated everyone who was in the building. Fortunately, all this happened in the evening, when there were no more [scheduled] flights," the airport's deputy director, Dmitry Sivolobov, told RIA Novosti. Due to the late time, evacuation did not affect air traffic.

Passengers and employees at Volgograd International Airport also had to be evacuated in the evening due to a bomb threat. "An anonymous call was received this evening about a bomb threat in terminal A, which was operational at the time; there were domestic flights [in that terminal]. An evacuation was carried out," Yaroslav Zimin, an airport spokesman, told Interfax. No explosive device was found during the check, and the airport resumed normal operations.

An evacuation was also conducted at the airport in Kazan. According to the international airport’s Press Secretary, the bomb threat call arrived at 6:35 PM Moscow time. "The evacuation of passengers and personnel was initiated. Special Services canine units are [currently] working in the terminal," Interfax quotes the airport representative as saying. The airport resumed operations at 7:50 PM MSK.

An evacuation was also conducted at the Saratov Central Airport after an anonymous call arrived at 6:08 PM. No explosive devices were found during the inspection, and the airport resumed normal operations.